Category Archives: Art

It’s no secret this great artist had more than just a few psychological problems. He expressed in a letter to his brother how he considered his childhood to have been depressing and cold. Later on he found himself harboring a prostitute and two children. The love of his life didn’t share the same feelings and he despised any signs consisting of words like “oil paintings for sale” because the thought of art as a commodity would just enrage his temper.

Very few people haven’t heard the name Vincent Van Gogh; even those who know nothing about art crossed this name once or twice. In his lifetime he created about 900 paintings and 1200 drawings. One of his most famous oil paintings has to be “Starry Night” which he painted just before getting admitted to a mental hospital. It is safe to say Van Gogh was definitely one of those artists who faced more mental breakdowns than success. According to history he only sold one painting in his lifetime.

Apart from his brilliant paintings he is better known for his acts of self-mutilation. He had cut off his own ear and nobody can say for sure why he dived so deep into the pool of insanity. Not even his death is clear, because he died of a gunshot wound at the age of 37, but no gun was ever found. There is no doubt that any speculation regarding his life decisions and reasons for doing what he did will always remain speculation. Van Gogh’s letters to his brother and family sheds some light on his thoughts though.

One thing is sure; the “oil paintings for sale” sign next to an original Van Gogh represents millions of dollars. His last words to his brother just before slipping into the darkness were “The sadness will last forever”. The question whether his mental instability was connected to his artistic ability is still heavily disputed today.